Ben S. Orlove

Sen. Ben Orlove, an anthropologist, has conducted fieldwork in the Peruvian Andes since the 1970s and also carried out research in Africa, the Italian Alps, and the Pacific Northwest in the US. His early work focused on agriculture, fisheries, and rangelands. More recently he has studied climate change and glacier retreat, with an emphasis on water, natural hazards, and the loss of iconic landscapes. In addition to his numerous academic articles and books, his publications include a memoir and a book of travel writing. He has served as a Lead Author on two reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and is active in climate policy work.

Orlove taught for many years at the University of California, Davis. At Columbia University, he is a professor in the School of International and Public Affairs, and also teaches in the Climate School. He is a Senior Research Scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society and has served as one of the four co-directors of the Center for Research in Environmental Decisions.